Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-09-02

Germans do, one of whose choicest pictures
is of Napoleon undergoing the tortues of
Hades." felt sorry for the poor broken
hearted, Gagged lion, at Helena, and forget for
the time the other broken hearts and wasted
homes caused by his selfish ambition. Visi-
tors constantly come and 60 just as they do
TO our Mecca, Mt Vernon, but there is none
of the restfulness about the place which
seems to belong to such spot, and felt
that should like 10 surround the sarcopha-
gus with few of the growing plants of his
beloved country perhaps, 1curle-dis, and
Irvine vine around the snowy columns
which support the beautiful balustrade.
Pere la Chaise seems to come naturally to
mind, as we turn from Napoleon's tomb to
that of Abelard and Helose. This ceme-
terry was one of four which were formed by
order of Napoleon in 1904, and is said to in
clude 1914 acres. 1t is situated on a hill
called Mont Louis, and gives fine view of
Paris and the country around. The mauso-
leums, tombs, &C., are generally in the form
of tiny chapels, some Of them richly orna
mented within with fine paintings, statuary,
vases, and stained glass windows-a plain
glass window being left in the iron door
through which view of the interior is OBJ
tanned. The chapel covers the family lot,
and the bodies are inferred within it, some
times three In one grave. Vines and plants
are often climbing about the little building,
and attracting the birds to make sweet
melody above the silent sleepers Altogether
the place is very picturesque and beautiful,
though not more so than many that have
seen in the large cities throughout our own
country, although do not suppose we can
equal il in the number of fine monuments,
OF which it claims $4,000.
The Catacombs come next. These we
did not VISIT but learned that about hun
dred years ago the bones from several ceme-
teries about to be abandoned were trans
ferred to an old quarry beneath the city,
and were here arranged in all sorts of de-
vices, inlaid in the walls, piled in artistic
groupings, curved into vases, &C., and that
in order TO see all this we must descend
ninety steep steps underground. We there
fore concluded that having gone away
for health, and having already all the
bones we needed, we would be satisfied with
having seen the Pantheon Crypt, and would
not go down into the bone quarry.ss
Talking of underground sightseeing, re-
minds me at once OF the wonderful Paris
sewers. Entering trap door near The
Madeleine, the visitor descends beneath the
the pavement about fifty winding steps, at
the foot of which he finds a canal about
twelve feet wide flanked on either side by a
pavement of stone four feet wide. Stepping
at once on board gondola he is drawn by
four men walking, two on each side, rapid
| ly along a distance of perhaps half mile.
Here he disembarks ard steps into car
which spans the canal, the tracks being laid
on the edges OF the stone sidewalks. All
along the walls Of the great tunnel are iron
pipes 10 inches each in diameter containing
the water of the city, the telegraph and
electric wires, gas, &c, no poles being al
lowed in the streets of Paris, with their net
work Of wires marring its beauty and in
teriering with the work of the fire depart
ment in times of danger All these gal
eries are well lighted with electricity, so
that it is as bright as day AT the end OF
about mile and a half the visitor leaves the
car, steps into brilliantly lighted hall, and
mounts the stairs leading to the upper world.
There is perfect cleanliness throughout these
sewers, and absolutely no odor The canal
finally empties itself into the river Seine
Of course we visited Versailles and the
Louvre, with what seemed its miles of paint
ings. 1t Is hopeless To attempt description
here. You have got to go To Paris and ti0e
if you want to take in everything One
picture, however, stands out before my mind
as write and that isMurillo's beautiful Ma
donna, the loveliest of all we have SEEM
Paris, no doubt has right to be proud oil
this, the largest art collection in the world
but doubt very much whether anybody
really enjoys day there as much as in a
smaller gallery where they are not surfeited
1t is quite "the thing" to go into raptures
and Gail off the name of picture after pic
ture as though they were all indelbly
stamped upon the memory, but these are
letters Of facts, not fancies, 50 | must be
truthful and say that locked and looked
J till grew dizzy, and finally almost stag
: gerel out, weighed down by an "embarrass
ment Of riches" When | shut my eyes
there was still that long stretch of picture
after picture, large and small sad and gay
until, with all my love of the beautiful
ielt Tor II time that | never wanted to see
another painting while lived. II some Of
those French people should suffer in this
way would not BE- surprised, because they
have not very good right to all OF this col
lection, but it did not seem fair that an
American, who never stole picture not
even a postage stamp, should have been Sc
affl lcted. We were much Interested in the
artists, cupyists, who We're scattered all
through the galleries SOME Of them were
such quaint characters that it would have
been easy to make story out of them then
and there. There was one tiny little Old
lady, with hair as white as snow, perched
up on high stool, painting away with most
vigorous touches, bright and chatty at an
age when any but French woman would
have imagined she was laid aside and mark
cd, ito be called for" Then there was an
old man 10 match, and now and then they
would talk over each others work in the
most friendly manner. And there were
younger artists, the man with the Byronic
collar, the long hair and the broad brimmed
soft felt hat, looking like the remains after
Il cyclone, and the pretty girl with curls
and blue eyes, and the angular maiden with
her clothes made somewhat after the style
OF the antique figure she was copying. Is
il not IA pity that SO many artistic people af-
feet this sort Of eccentricity, and get the
credit for being off their balance? But our
country held its own here, as everywhere
else, and one fine looking young American,
with his hair brushed and his cravat prop
eriy tied, seemed to be doing as good work
as the rest, while young lady, so tasteluly
attirc that addressed her in French, re
| SD )nded in as sweet UNITED States" voice
as ever heard. And now, having put my
sell beiow zero, in your eyes, as regards
"art culture" | will retire for time an let
you recover from the shock but, between
| you and me, Sue, nine tenths of the Amer-
cans whs go abroad would agree with me il
they expressed their actual thoughts The
| fault is not in the quality Of the pictures,
| but IN the immense number which strikes
| the eye at once.
My next letter will tell you OF Notre
/ Dame, McAll Mission, the Grand Opera
/ House, and other places, and will, hope,
I lead you out OF Paris, though when once
! sou yet On that miserable Channel you will
/ wish yOu had never left il.